The 11 Healthiest Fast-Food Lunches

A third of adults who eat at fast-food restaurants three or more times a week are obese, a study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease found — not surprising given the preponderance of high-fat, high-calorie, and high-salt menu items.

But at almost every chain restaurant, there are smart choices to be made. An ideal meal that won’t derail your diet is a plate that’s half fresh fruits or vegetables, a quarter lean protein, and a quarter whole grains, says Kristi King, RD, a clinical dietitian at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. “Look for grilled, baked or broiled meats versus fried,” King says, and then add a vegetable option like a side salad and apple slices or a fruit salad.

If you’re looking for a few healthy standbys to order every time you eat out, try these.

McDonald's Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich

350 calories

9 g fat

28 g protein

820 mg sodium

42 g carbohydrates

3 g fiber

8 g sugar

As fast-food options go, grilled chicken sandwiches generally make better healthy lunches than hamburger patties. Pair yours with a salad and light dressing and low-fat milk or water to drink. The downside is the sodium in this sandwich might be too high if you have high blood pressure or diabetes, points out Jim White, RD, founder of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach, Va. "While the calories may be below 500, the problems arise with the high levels of sodium," he says. "These lunches may not expand the waistline, but they will cause an elevation in blood pressure."

McDonald's Grilled Chicken Ranch Snack Wrap

270 calories

12 grams fat

16 g protein

700 mg sodium

25 g carbohydrates

1 g fiber

2 g sugar

The size of McDonald’s snack wraps are just right — as long as you order them grilled and not fried, King says. To save on additional calories and fat, ask for the wrap without cheese or dressing. Because the small wraps might not be filling enough, add a small side to help you stay satisfied. “Look for a yogurt parfait — about 150 calories, a side salad, or fruit to pair with that snack wrap,” King suggests, along with low-fat milk to drink.

Burger King Whopper Jr.

260 calories

10 g fat

16 g protein

440 mg sodium

28 g carbohydrates

1 g fiber

7 g sugar

Burgers can be a smart choice, especially if you load yours with veggies, such as onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and even pickles for added flavor without much additional salt or fat. Skipping cheese and enhancing your sandwich with barbecue sauce or ketchup instead of mayonnaise saves calories and fat, too, White says. If you’re watching your saturated fat intake, try the garden patty option (for 440 calories as a fully loaded sandwich). Regardless of which burger you pick, skipping the bun will save you about 140 calories.

Arby's Roast Chicken Club Sandwich

460 calories

19 g fat

30 g protein

1,440 mg sodium

42 g carbohydrates

2 g fiber

9 g sugar

One of the healthiest sandwiches on the menu, this option packs half of your daily protein needs into one meal. If you’re craving Arby’s classic roast beef, go for it — a plain roast beef sandwich has just 350 calories, (but beware: once you add sugary barbecue sauce, the calorie count can skyrocket). When you’re eating Arby’s, skip the classic curly fries, and order a side salad instead.

Arby's Roast-Chicken Chopped Farmhouse Salad

250 calories

14 g fat

23 g protein

670 mg sodium

11 g carbohydrates

3 g fiber

5 g sugar

Arby’s has several healthy lunch options, and this salad — with its roasted, not fried, chicken and fresh vegetables — ranks among the best. To keep your salads healthy, resist high-calorie extras such as cheese, nuts, and full-fat dressing. Salad dressing can wildly increase your salt (and fat) intake if you don’t pay attention to how much you’re drizzling on.

Chipotle Build-Your-Own Salad

360 calories

8 g fat

42 g protein

1,265 mg sodium

34 g carbohydrates

14 g fiber

8 g sugar

At Chipotle, skip the rice and the burrito (the flour tortilla alone is nearly 300 calories!), and build your own salad, featuring chicken, fajita vegetables, black beans, lettuce, and salsa. The lean meat, beans, and fresh veggies will keep you full while a heaping spoonful of salsa adds flavor without fat. If you want an additional toppings, skip sour cream and go for guacamole for its added fiber, healthy fat, and other nutrients.

Smoothie King Pomegranate Punch, 20 oz.

396 calories

0 grams fat

0 g protein

1 mg sodium

95 g carbohydrates

1 g fiber

93 g sugar

Smoothie King offers several dozen 20-ounce smoothie options that are low-calorie lunches, depending on your taste and preference. The Pomegranate Punch is a smart choice because it’s loaded with antioxidants. The caveat to this diet meal? Although smoothies tend to be low in fat and salt, they can be very high in sugar and totally devoid of protein, so add a protein supplement if you’re using this as a meal replacement.

Pizza Hut Thin N Crispy Veggie Lover's Pizza: Two Slices, 12-Inch Pie

360 calories

12 g fat

16 mg sodium

46 g carbohydrates

1 g fiber

8 g sugar

Pizza gets a bad rap when you’re following a weight-loss plan, but it can make a healthy lunch if you can keep to two slices at a time — that’s a quarter of the 12” pie at Pizza Hut. Loading up on veggies will help you meet your recommended number of servings for the day and increase the fiber in your meal. Depending on your calorie budget, you could add ham slices for protein that could help you feel full a bit longer.

Subway 6-inch Oven-Roasted Chicken Sandwich

370 calories

10 g fat

23 g protein

650 mg sodium

48 g carbohydrates

5 g fiber

8 g sugar

At a make-your-own sandwich spot, pile yours high with fresh vegetables, including spinach, bell peppers, lettuce, and more. Skip mayonnaise or a salad dressing, and consider adding a slice of Subway’s latest sandwich topper: avocado. Avocado might be a high-calorie fruit, but the creaminess ensures you won’t miss fatty dressings, and its fiber will help you stay full.

Chik-Fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap

410 calories

10 g fat (4 g sat fat)

32 g protein

1,070 mg sodium

50 g carbohydrates

7 g fiber

9 g sugar

Overall, White says, Chik-Fil-A has one of the consistently healthiest menus for fast-food restaurants, with most healthy lunches ringing in at fewer than 500 calories and plenty of options that aren’t fried and are loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables. The wraps are not the lowest-calorie lunch items and are a bit high in salt, but they are substantial enough to keep you full until dinner on their own. Know that the dressings offered with the wraps are about 140 calories per serving, so you may want to decline or go for the 45-calorie barbecue sauce instead.

Your best bet at Panda Express is to splice together a variety of menu items. An 8-ounce serving of rice will add 380 calories to this meal, so skip it entirely if you’re on a diet. The soup and the plentiful veggies should provide a side dish instead. Unfortunately, there’s no way around the sodium at Panda Express, which approaches the maximum recommended amount for an entire day, so don’t add to it by drizzling on soy sauce.

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